Valley of Dreamers
by KennetKarona
Summary: The Hylia Valley is the host of the Great Deku Tree, a massive tree whose canopy extends over the valley floor, and the citizens that dwell beneath its mighty foliage. But there's a secret even amongst those who live beneath it, and the city of Koholint is at the center of it all.
1. Prologue

**The Valley of Dreamers**

_A Legend of Zelda fan-fiction_

The city of Koholint sits at the base of the Great Deku Tree, a towering testament to nature in the middle of the Hylia Valley. The city encircles the roots of the tree, which spread out among the valley floor and helps to connect the outlying villages together. The valley is isolated from the rest of the world, mighty canyon walls surrounding the canopy of the tree. Given this situation, the valley has taken in the belief that there is nothing beyond the valley, and provides only what's necessary for its people to survive.

Although the valley is ruled by the Royal Family, Koholint is governed by the Sages; one for each sector, or smaller cities, with differing personalities. Their responsibility to the city involves taking care of any problems, to maintain a comfortable atmosphere for the inhabitants and the visitors that the city has. Civilization has thrived under this rule, but nothing is ever as perfect as it seems. For who could guess what was in store for this sleepy little valley world?

~ **Prologue**: _The Shadows of a Sleeping City_

A chilled hush blew across the empty cobblestone streets of Nabooru. The street lamps had been blown out earlier in the night, leaving nothing but silenced shadows that danced creepily under the obscured moonlight above. As the leaves of the Great Deku Tree shook about to do its best to hide the moon's rays, it put on show of lights on the city below. Often, a lone figure could be seen running down the alleys of Nabooru due to the rays of lunar luminescence being cast on it.

The footsteps of the creature sounded off as if metal was hitting hard against the stones underneath, but nothing could be made out of its true physique under the guise of the shadows and the dingy cloak it wore in the glow. Heavy breathing could be heard with every step forward, hinting at a sense of urgency in its actions. As it stepped out of an alley and into the grander street of the sleeping city, it landed a weighted foot down onto the ground and spun about on it, turning around.

"I'm tired of running," the person said, its voice masked in a gruff growl. Raising its hands, it took hold of the robe and pulled it off over its head. As the body was exposed more, the nearby lamps sparked to life, bathing the streets in sparks. The cloak was thrown away on the ground as the cloaked being, revealed to be a young man, braced himself for his pursuers. His body was garbed sparsely in a thin suit of armor, decorated with red and gold symbols that were glowing. "If this is how it must be, then the Goddesses are cruel indeed."

He waited in the middle of the street, holding his fists out and standing in a martial arts stance. Gripping his fingers tightly, the metal rings around his fingers clanked against one another. Time continued to pass, but nothing manifested from the alleyway. He relaxed some, standing up straight and looking around. There was still no sign of life throughout the city, aside from the small illuminated area he was found in. Figuring it best to continue, he spread his arm out in front of him quickly. The flames beckoned, responding to his command and extinguishing themselves. He was bathed again in the shadows, accompanied rarely by the rays of the moon.

"Were you followed?" Someone asked him cautiously from the darkness. The young man cleared his throat before producing a small flame in his hand, the luminary brightening the scene. Standing with him now was a young woman with pale skin and hair tinted the same as the moon. Her lips were the only thing on her colored brightly, while even her clothes were tinted pale against her skin. The young man shook his head, although he wasn't confident to speak to his contact just yet. He watched out of the corner of his eye as they walked through another alleyway, casting the shadows away with the man's flame. "You were recommended for your abilities, but you do stand out in this area. We'll have to do something about that." She spoke softly, almost like a whisper tickling his ears. He was surprised he could actually understand her quite clearly, despite the tone she was taking.

As they walked further into the alley, she came to a halt and told him to extinguish the flame. He did so, and felt the wind escape his lungs. He clutched his chest and fell to his knees, gasping for air. He lit up the room again, this time the source being his body as it glowed with a radiant aura. Their surroundings had changed so drastically during the temporary blindness. He slowly stood up, recovering his breath as he observed his surroundings. The woman was dusting herself off and trying to get some smudges out of her gown that had appeared within the short time they were bathed in shadows.

"What just happened? I felt like I had been hit in the chest," the young man asked, rubbing his chest carefully. There was no bruise from being hit, but it didn't change the way it felt. She shook her head and raised a finger to her lips, extending her other hand out into the shadows. He turned to face the direction she was pointing, seeing another source of light coming towards them. There was nothing casting the glow, nor anyone within, but it sort of haunted towards them, slowly and smoothly down the hall.

"Who goes there?" A raspy female voice cried out. As the glow neared them, there was finally a figure walking within it. A hunched over being slowly crept towards them, and the young woman saw no reason to try and hide. "Is that you, Linnea?"

"Yes, grandmother… I brought you the young man I spoke of." The one they were speaking of was dimming in his brightness, relaxing a little. The elderly woman finally entered the same room as them, the luminescence expanding within it in a dim glow. He saw that it was coming from behind her body, but couldn't see around her to look at the source. "Go ahead, introduce yourself," Linnea prompted the young man to speak. He gasped and straightened up, turning quite rigid in his expression of politeness.

"Sorry about that. My name is Kent, from Darunia." He bowed before the elderly woman that was slowly walking up to him. Linnea finally managed to get the smudge off of her gown and walked across the room to get a chair for her grandmother to sit in. "I was told you needed an Auran for something, and would pay well?"

"Oh yes, indeed," the grandmother giggled, sitting down in front of him. She was using a small cane for support, gnarled and wrinkled like her hands. "See, I need a Flame Auran like yourself to do something special. Are your abilities truly as great as my granddaughter has been telling me?" Though Kent didn't know what Linnea had been saying of him, he was sure he could easily meet the woman's expectations. To prove it, he clenched his fists tightly and stuck out his chest, building up an intense pressure throughout his body.

His body responded to his actions by shedding a radiance similar to what he displayed earlier. His skin shined as if it was covered in a thin layer of sweat, and his armor gleaned like it was freshly polished. The air was beginning to warm around them, and Linnea had to shield her eyes as his intensity only grew further. He changed up his stance, throwing his hands forward to meet. His fingertips were only an inch away from one another, his hands themselves curving around an empty spot. The glow from his body traveled in visible pulses through his arms, down to his fingers, and collected in the empty air between his palms.

"Such a boisterous display," the woman whispered. Her words fell onto his ears quite clearly, though, as did her granddaughter's. "You are definitely one for showing off, aren't you, young man?" Kent cooled down, casting off the energy he was building up. All that remained was a small ball of pure energy floating where he had his hands together. It continued to glow for a few seconds before it faded into the dimness of the room. "You should do nicely, though, for what we need you for."

"What _do_ you need me for, exactly?" He inquired curiously, trying to read her reactions carefully. The grandmother smiled, her polished teeth shining in the shadows of her hood. Before he knew it, he felt his arms and legs wrapped up in a cool binding, pulling him back against the wall. He lashed about, caught off-guard by whatever was holding him. He began to generate another glow through his body, trying to see what was holding him down. The wall was pitch black, shadow-cloaked hands reaching out of it to hold him down. "What's going on?" He cried out as he continued to fight back.

The grandmother just continued to curve her lips with a tinge of smug to it, Linnea standing beside her. Slowly, the old woman began to rise to her feet, only to turn back to the hall she had come down. He saw, as she turned, that the light source she was using was shining through a hole in the back of her hood. A green flame danced back and forth under the hood, generating the glow behind her. He watched, powerless, as Linnea waved him away.

The shadows pulled him further in, and not even his natural glow could cut through the darkness he now found himself in. He was left with a final, stunning moment as it attempted to burn into his mind: Linnea, in her pale clothing and even paler complexion, staring at him with golden eyes. Were they gold when they first met, he couldn't remember. Not even that memory stayed fresh in his mind before it, too, was drenched in darkness.

"Grandmother", Linnea said, finally catching up to the old woman after having seen Kent off, "was it truly necessary for us to do that? Couldn't we have simply asked him if he would help on his own?" They were walking slowly down the hallway, coming up to a door near the end of the hall. "I mean, we didn't even ask him. Perhaps he would've been willing…?"

"Linnea, you have to understand the course of things. People don't respond well to things they don't understand. He would not have joined us willingly, so this was the only way to get what we needed from him." The old woman reached for the doorknob, but her hand was soon covered by Linnea's, stopping her briefly. "Trust me, young one; this was the quickest way, and the least resistance we get this early, the better. We don't want to lure unwanted attention just yet." Linnea stared into her grandmother's eyes, able to see beyond the shade of her hood. Slowly, she removed her hand, allowing the door to be opened.

"So, does this mean we're well on our way then?" Linnea asked, standing out of the way as her grandmother passed her. All her grandmother could do was turn around and smile, showing off that crooked grin. The door closed behind her, leaving Linnea in the shadows once again. She clutched her arm, looking down at where the floor should've been. It didn't feel right, what her grandmother was asking of her and the others. She couldn't afford to show her feelings around her, though…


	2. Chapter 1

~ **Chapter One:** _Kyrie Cross_

Kyrie stretched out, lazing on an empty field. She stared at the clouds above, attempting to see whatever she could through the branches and leaves of the Great Deku Tree. The village of Larame, quiet and peaceful, rested at the end of one of the tree's massive roots, exposed barely on the surface and running all the way back to the trunk as an earthy road. She had never traveled beyond the tip of the root, having no need, but she always dreamed of what the city was like. When she was given chances to go with her family, she turned down the option in fear of her dreams being crushed by what it may really be.

She straightened out her skirt, not wanting her pants underneath to get stained by the grass. Sighing, she continued to stare at the world above. She thought to herself just how free it must've been for the Cuckuu, a fabled bird of glory, to fly above the Hylia Valley and breech the large leaves of the tree, just to see the world beyond the valley walls. Biting her lip, she remembered how taboo it was to speak of such things, so she turned over on her side. Gazing at the blades of grass beside her, she instead imagined the grass envying her ability to move around. It was continuous, where something would always be jealous of something else's own abilities, but never be able to see the beauty in its own existence.

She sat up, staring around her. It was another peaceful day in the valley, with little to worry her in her current surroundings. She was at least glad that her family owned enough land for her to gaze out and enjoy the sights. They made their living off of farm-grown produce from the lizard-like Donga and the feathered bovine known as the Lonnon. Her family had already departed for the market, leaving her with all the time she could ask for and more. However, it was also one of those things she didn't want, having nothing to do.

"Kyrie!" A voice cried out to her. She scanned the scenery, trying to focus on what, or who, was calling for her. Towards the family home, she saw a figure running towards her. It was still some distance off from her, but she knew that it was her brother, Kyle. She stood up slowly, brushing the grass off of her skirt and blouse, and started walking towards him slowly. Gathering her hair up, she pulled it into a ponytail and used a hair band she had wrapped around her wrist to keep it up. "Kyrie!" Kyle yelled out again. She groaned, a bit disappointed he was still trying to get her attention when she was walking right towards him.

"It's almost four. Why are you bothering me?" she responded back to him, loud enough for him to hopefully hear. He slowed down some as they neared one another, and she could definitely make out his features more clearly. He was wearing a green frock over his shorts and t-shirt, showing he had been managing the animals. However, his face was dinged with mud and dirt, cracked with a frown and a stare of worry in his eyes.

"I was feeding the animals, and… and…" Kyle's eyes began to water. He tended to overreact to things, and she was certain he probably gave them too much. "I was feeding the animals, and when I went to go feed the Donga, the door was unlocked. So, I went in, and they were gone!" Kyrie's body tensed up, realizing that it was as severe as he was making it out to be. It was clearly not his fault, though, but she didn't want to let that be known just yet. She laughed to ease his mind, a hint of worry making her voice waver as she did so.

"Well, they couldn't have gotten far," she said to relax him. Donga were a kind of winged lizard, about the size of a dog. Kyrie's family needed the Donga as a source of income, helping them shed their excess scales and milking the females. She had grown to dislike the milk taste, but it was a decadent treat to the people of Koholint. As she thought more about the situation, though, it died down in severity. She had an idea on what happened, and wanted to check it out to make sure.

She grabbed Kyle's hand tightly and began to run back towards the farmhouse. He complained the entire time, her grip too tight around his wrist, but she continued to pull him across the grassy field. In only a short amount of time, they soon came up to the house of their family, worn with age but definitely not in disrepair. The green paint allowed it to lightly blend with the surroundings. As they neared the front, she slung him towards it and continued running, heading towards the Donga pen.

"Kyrie, wait!" he cried out, struggling to slow himself down. But she was much too fast for him. Quickly, she came to the edge of the Donga pen, which was nothing but a large building with no windows on the sides. She rounded the corner of the pen and quickly stopped, placing your body against the wall. It was still warm from when the sun was shining on it. She waited a bit to make sure Kyle didn't follow any further. As she peeked around the corner, she saw that he had given up and was walking into the house. He gave up way too easily, which was what she had been counting on.

Standing proudly, she turned her attention back to the pen. She turned to her left and saw the back door to the Donga pen, the lock on it left hanging loosely from the latch. She walked casually over to it, inspecting it closely. It hadn't been forced off, probably left like it was from when Kyle went in. Then again, she remembered he said that it was left unlocked before he got there. Carefully, she opened the door and looked in.

A hazy light shined down in the middle of the large room that housed the Donga. A glass ceiling was placed above the feeding pit, cloaking the rest of the pen in darkness. Dust particles floated softly in the bright light. In the shadows, deep and dark, she swore she could see stars twinkling, or something reflecting the light back at least, when she wasn't looking directly. She stepped further into the pen, closing the door softly behind her. Holding out her hands, she crept into the light, turning to observe the shadows around her.

"If you're in here, it's all right now…" she whispered, slowly kneeling before the darkness, holding her hands out. "Come here..." She listened carefully as there was movement coming from within the shadows. Her eyes hadn't adjusted enough to see anything, but she was certain as to what it was. Eventually, from out of the shadows, a small rat-like creature, with red fur and a long nose, walked out with its head hung its head down in embarrassment. "You silly little thing, you. Haven't I told you not to come in here without me, Angelo?"

The creature blew a raspy noise through its nose, almost like the sound of a trumpet, and walked closer to her hands. She grabbed hold and lifted it up to her neck, letting it stand on her shoulders. Having Angelo safely with her, she walked back towards the door, glancing up a little as she did so. A soft smile perked her lips, finally understanding what went on. By the time she got to the door, she turned around and leaned against the wall near it. Cradling Angelo in her arms as she waited, the Donga slowly descended, one by one, from the shaded niches of the ceiling. Flapping their tiny wings, she was often amazed at how skittish they were at creatures much smaller.

As each touched the ground, they eyed Kyrie and Angelo carefully. Angelo had always been around Donga growing up, but this was a newer herd than what he was raised with, so they hadn't worked on the trust issues. Kyrie found it amazing that the dog-sized reptiles would be afraid of something as small as Angelo, but wasn't going to try and analyze the complexities of nature. One neared her, allowing her to more closely inspect the red and green patterns that dimly shined in the sun's light.

She stroked the scales of the Donga, running her fingers softly against each and tracing the outer spoke of each. They were so timid, yet they were easy to tame if raised from birth. The Donga wiggled its tongue at her in pleasure, enjoying the slight sensation it got from her fingers. Angelo crawled down her arm and walked along its back, allowing it to relax much more. It perked its head up at the same time Angelo did, something behind the door startling them. Angelo climbed back up Kyrie's arm as the Donga ran off to the other side of the pen.

Kyle pulled on the door, which was her cue to leave. Quickly, she passed through the opening and caught him off guard. He pulled his hand back and blushed, looking away from her eyes. She smiled softly, stepping out of the door's path to close it. She slid the lock back on it and made sure it was secure this time before turning around to face him. He was still shaken up from the Donga having disappeared, but she knew it wasn't his fault. She pulled him in for a hug, keeping him from crying.

"They were simply hiding," she comforted him with her soft words. "Angelo spooked them, but they're back now." As she said that, Angelo perked its ears up and ran down her body in a spiral until it reached Kyle's shoulders. It pushed its cheeks up against the back of Kyle's neck, trying to show affection as if to say, "I'm sorry." "Let's get back inside now. Mom and Dad should be home soon..." She placed her hand on Kyle's back, leading by gently pushing him. Rounding the corner of the Donga pen to see the house, they saw the mailman running towards their house, a traditional Hylian mailman wearing the white toga, mail satchel, and red hat. Although he was some distance away from them when they first saw him, he quickly covered the necessary ground to meet them at the front of the house.

"I've got a delivery for a…" he reached into his bag to make sure he got the name right, "Max and Lara Cross." The mailman's body was pounding rigorously under his labored breaths. Kyrie reached out to sign for it in lieu of her parents, which the mailman gladly allowed. Signing the delivery over to her, he handed her a brown box. She offered him to sit and relax for a short bit, but he shook his head. "Have a nice day!" He tipped his hat to the two and turned around. He pushed off with his foot and was running wildly. He disappeared near the root in a minute's time, leaving the two siblings to blink at how fast he was really speeding by.

Kyle ran inside, going to keep himself occupied in his room until their parents got back. Kyrie was left with the box, and her curiosity was definitely an enemy. She fought with the urge to see what it was, and finally won when she saw the wagon coming towards the house, pulling off from the root road. She stood in place as the wagon got closer to the farm. Holding the box out, she didn't wait for their normal greetings before asking, "What's in this?"

Max, her father, stared at the box closely. His eyes squinted and focused on the writing on the side, trying to think of who he knew in Koholint that would send him anything. Lara hopped off the wagon and gave their daughter a great, big hug. "Dear, don't you think it's a bit soon to be bothering us with such simple questions?" She turned around, smiling at how foolish the question was, but when she saw that Max's expression didn't change any, she looked back at the box. She, too, read the address from where it was sent, and her smile faded. "Max?"

"It's fine, Lara. They told us this would happen, remember?" Max dropped the reins of the horses in the seat and slid off the wagon, reaching for the box. Kyrie withdrew the box from the two of them, making sure she was kept informed of the situation. "Kyrie, give it to me." She shook her head, staring at the two of them. Her parents had never kept secrets from her before, which made the contents of the box that much more interesting. "Kyrie, hand it over. This is important."

"Then let me open it! Why, do you not trust me?" The first sign of doubt crossed their faces, which actually stung her more than a bee. "It's... is it something bad?" Max shook his head, but still held his hand out to get the box. Lara's face was starting to wrinkle into a worrisome frown. Kyrie slowly handed the box over to her father, but remained in place. He took hold of the paper wrapping and slowly peeled it off, peeling back several layers until a smaller, wooden box was found.

It was made of wood, the grain visibly leading from one side to the other. It was split in half with a crack between the top and bottom, where it opened. He took hold of both pieces of the box, attempting to pull it apart. At first, he didn't apply enough strength, proving how secure it had been sealed. Throwing the paper out of his hand to get a greater grip, he gripped tightly with both hands. She could see her father's muscles bulge as he pulled harder, eventually separating the two pieces. He stepped backwards, surprised at the recoil from the box. Lara tried to brace him, but she stepped back with him, bumping into the wagon.

A small, green coin fell out of the box, landing between the three of them in the grass. Kyrie's eyes locked onto it and she quickly picked it up, observing it with as much curiosity as a teenager could over the unusual. Turning it over a few times in her hands, she felt the cold tinge of metal, but found it odd that it weighed more like wood. It was surprisingly light, and there was a strange reflective symbol shining on both sides. As she gazed more at the symbol, there was a lingering memory tugging at her. She swore to herself that she had seen it before, but couldn't think of anything that would possibly have had it.

She looked back up at her parents, who were looking at the box itself. It looked like they were reading something inside the halves, both holding one and looking into it. "Kyrie," her father spoke out. "Go pack your things. We've need to return to Koholint as soon as we can." She raised an eyebrow curiously at her father's request. He didn't look to see her confused expression, though. "Hurry, we leave before nightfall. Tell your brother to do the same." His expression was cold, almost chilling as he continued to stare at the lid. She knew he wasn't kidding, but whatever he was reading certainly wasn't good news. She didn't bother asking just how much to pack, knowing she wouldn't get an answer from either of them now. She pocketed the coin, and ran into the house to start packing.


	3. Chapter 2

~ **Chapter Two: **_The Crystal's Song_

The sun had already passed the valley walls, bathing the valley in an awkward mix of darkness and twilight, by the time they finally departed from their homestead. Kyrie was sitting uncomfortably in the back of the family's wagon with her brother, Kyle. He was slightly concerned about how their parents were acting, and she didn't want to raise any alarm by agreeing with him. Instead, she remained caring of his feelings and froze any expression on her face but comfort. Cradling him in her arms with a hug, she watched the scenery slowly pass by.

They were on their way to the Koholint, it seemed. They had carefully climbed up the root, and were now gracefully passing the scenery in comfort from above. Although it didn't seem like it from the farm, the root was quite massive in height and width. She peeked over the edge of the wagon to truly get a look at its details from up close. There was a grainy texture to the surface of the root, and it was slightly worn where people treaded upon it back and forth. It seemed very helpful for those further from the city to travel without fear of being attacked by wild creatures.

Turning to view what was in front of them, she could begin to see the dazzling lights of the capital city, glowing in the twilit shadows of the large tree. As the horses pulled the wagon ever steady towards it, her dreams began to play in her head. She wondered what the city was really like, and she bit her lip in fear that maybe it wasn't as great as she hoped. Clouds began to form in her visions of Koholint, disturbing her sparkling images with paranoia. Softly, she whimpered and wiggled about where she sat, disturbing Kyle.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking at her carefully. She turned back to look at him, and her immediate fear dissolved with a smile. She sat back and took an arm around him, comforting him with her warmth once again. He laid his head against her chest, feeling much better with his big sister beside him. "Hey, Kyrie? Do you think we'll be all right? I mean, with whatever they're taking us to?" She looked at him cautiously, carefully planning on how to answer him without giving him a bold lie.

"I don't know, but I'll make sure nothing bad happens," she responded, carefully looking into his eyes. She knew that it wasn't what he wanted to hear, but in saying it, she still saw the tension ease a little in his expression. He held on to her tighter, gripping onto her light green blouse. She casually brushed her hand against his soft golden brown hair, staring up at the sky instead.

The sky above was a mixture of shadows from the leaves and the open field of diamonds that twinkled for the observers below. She sighed a bit, relaxing with Kyle on her bosom. The ride was taking a bit longer than she thought, and the rocking motion of the wagon was slowly lulling both of them to sleep.

The rocking motion of the wagon came to a halt, which jostled both of the Cross siblings out of their nap. Kyrie quickly looked around, finding that the natural scenery that she had bid farewell to with her drifting eyelids had been replaced by manmade structures. Stone buildings, busy people, and dazzling lights envying the stars were surrounding them. She quickly sat up and looked around more carefully, wondering where they were.

Max had left the wagon, moving towards a building built into the base of the Great Deku Tree and leaving Lara in the wagon with the kids. Unlike the other buildings, the building he was heading to was brilliantly reflecting the city lights cast towards it, like it was made of metal. There were brief instances where the reflective surface shimmered all over, a wave of light starting from one side of the wall over to the other side, disappearing into the roots beside it. She thought it was mesmerizing, and definitely stood out from the rest of the area.

However, people walked by it and didn't pay much attention to it. With the way it looked, she found that perplexing. He soon got too far away for her to see him clearly, so she instead went back to looking around. Kyle had already been looking around, his eyes wide and drawn to every little detail. "This is Koholint… It really is the big city, isn't it sis?" he asked, surprised. She wasn't sure, herself, so they both looked at their mother.

She saw their dewy-eyed expressions and laughed. Reaching back, she brushed Kyle's hair out of his face and nodded. "Yes, this is Koholint. Rather, this is a smaller city in Koholint, called the Saria district." She looked back up towards the reflective building. "I was against actually bringing you to this place, this soon…" The words slid out of her lips and chilled the air around the two siblings. She hinted at something she wasn't willing to tell them at the moment. She turned back to face them, and smiled once again. "Hope your father's all right in there."

"Mom," Kyrie started with, "what's going on? Why are we here?" She stared at her mother, wondering if she could try and coax something out. Lara just looked at the two of them, her smile softening and refining the wrinkles in her face. Kyrie reached out and put her hand on top of her mom's. Her fingertips were slightly chilled, and she could feel the smooth, yet worn, texture of her mother's skin under her palm. She observed her mother carefully, hoping there would be something in her body language that would answer their questions.

"There're things that really shouldn't happen," she simply said. Kyrie raised an eyebrow, not sure what she meant. Kyle hopped out of their grasps and poked out of the wagon, towards the distinctive building Max had gone into. He was walking back out with two figures, garbed in green robes. They slowly made their way back to the wagon, prompting Lara to get out and bow before them. Kyrie and Kyle just watched as a whispered exchange between the four of them happened just out of earshot.

"These are our children." Max stepped forward to the wagon, helping Kyle down first, then Kyrie. The two kids bowed graciously to the robed figures, though introductions weren't finished by their standards. "They'll be accompanying us into the temple, if that is fine with you. We couldn't leave them at home." He looked at the figures, waiting for some sort of acknowledgement. Eventually, as the two figures looked at one another through the shadows of their hoods, they both nodded towards Max. He nodded back, and escorted his family towards the temple.

As they proceeded towards it, Kyrie took hold of Kyle's hand tightly. There was a low hum that came off of the walls as they neared it, growing in intensity before fading and resuming its pattern. She could feel her body slightly vibrate from the sound, and it made her very uncomfortable. Looking down at Kyle out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Kyle was having the same reaction from the strange sound. She didn't expect, however, to get any answers from her parents right now.

Soon enough, they passed through the archway of the building, and the sound quickly disappeared. She stopped and looked around, trying to soak in as much of the area as she could for later. The walls were of the same reflective properties as the ones outside, displaying her image with those of the rest in her party. She saw her wrinkled green blouse and skirt, as well as her light blonde hair, which was quite a mess. Asking Kyle to wait beside her, she took the time to make herself look more presentable for her parents by straightening her clothes and fixing her hair.

They had to run to catch back up with their parents and the robed figures. The so-called "temple" was deathly quiet, their steps echoing down the halls and up the walls. She caught a glimpse further down the hall, using the mirrored walls as a means to peek around those in front of her. It continued on, nothing obscuring the reflections on the walls, until it opened out into a large room.

She clasped her brother's hand with both of hers, a fear of the unknown starting to wrap itself around her heart. Her breaths were deeper, labored, and she was starting to wonder if her parents had read something bad in the box. As they neared the archway leading into the larger room, she felt her heart beating ever harder in her chest, anxiety really playing a number on her as it paired up with her overactive imagination.

The hallway spilled out into a large room, decorated with pillars that stretched up several stories before coming together to form a dorm. The floor was of polished stone, as were the pillars, still showing the reflection of those who walked within the building. However, their attention was quickly drawn to what they saw in the center of the room. A large, green crystal, unrefined with several jagged edges and shining with a light from deep within, was levitating a few feet off the ground in the middle of the room.

"Whoa," they both said softly, so as to not disturb the others. They had never seen such a magnificent stone, and they could see it slowly rotate on the sharpened points near the bottom and top. It pirouetted on its points, resonating in a low key that strengthened and weakened with the light inside. They looked at one another, wondering what all of this had to do with the two of them.

"It began to pulse as of last night," one of the robed figures finally said, speaking in a feminine air. "This was never noted in the former caretaker's notes. Do you know what it means?" Both figures turned to look at the Cross family. Max crossed his arms and looked up at the crystal, while Lara turned to embrace both of her kids. Kyrie could feel the beat of her heart synchronizing with the humming of the crystal. Kyle felt the same way, his hand becoming slightly sweaty.

"I don't remember reading it in the archives, but I think I could look again." He turned to speak to Lara, but he saw the reaction in the kids and stared for a bit. Looking back at the crystal, then at them once again, he realized that there was something wrong. "Kyrie? Kyle?" He reached out for the two of them. Lara looked down at them, not having looked at their faces earlier. They were profusely sweating. Kyrie felt lightheaded and, before she knew it, felt the air escape from her lungs.

The strength from her body went with her breath, and she fell limp onto the ground. Kyle followed, their hands still connected. Lara and Max knelt before the two of them as the robed figures split. One watched over the Cross family, while the other went down another hall to get help. Max looked back at the crystal, staring at it intensely.

"Lara, watch over the kids, ok?" He said sternly without even looking at her. He rose back to his feet and approached the robed figure. "Take me to the Archives, now."


	4. Chapter 3

~ **Chapter Three: **_Fog_

The last thing Kyrie could remember, there was an intense sensation that swept over her body. Now, she was standing within a bank of fog, the damp air slightly strangling her and bathing her in disorientation. She could see nothing, and how she came to this place was beginning to bother her. "Kyle? Kyle!" she cried out, her first action being to make sure her brother is okay. Despite being blinded by the fog, she ran off in a random direction, hoping to find some change in scenery.

"Kyrie?" Kyle's voice echoed out like a whisper, playing off of the open area and surrounding her. She couldn't follow where it came from, though she did stop to turn around and look again. "Kyrie? Are you here?" he whispered again.

"Yes! Kyle, where are you? Can you follow my voice?" she cried out. To her, her voice didn't seem to echo like his did. She waited for a reply, looking up and wishing that there were some features visible in this fog. When she looked down, she couldn't even see the floor, though her body stood out amongst the fog itself.

"No. It's coming at me from all around. There's too much fog," Kyle whispered again. Kyrie started running again, hoping she could do something. A few minutes later, and she felt like she had made absolutely no progress. Still, she took a break to catch her breath, then ran some more. "Sis, I'm scared. Where are we?" His voice sounded hushed, like he was further away. She slid to a stop, feeling her feet slide an extra inch on whatever surface she was on, and she turned around to run the other way.

"Just keep talking," she yelled out to him between breaths. "Kyle, whatever you do, just keep talking. I'm coming after you!" She was desperate to find him, and the fog was starting to darken around her. The gray scene around her began to fade into a stormy color, and she wasn't sure of what that meant; that was what scared her. Slowly, her surroundings took on the appearance of a storm, complete with flashes of light sparking off around her. It was thanks to one of these flashes that she saw a silhouette of someone. She quickly ran after it, hoping it was her brother.

Catching up to the figure, she saw that it was a young girl with dark green hair and a matching set of robes. They were oversized and hung over her body, her hands covered by the sleeves and the edge of the skirt bunching up on the floor. She was standing there, looking at the clouds around them and watching the lightning spark off without a sound. As she saw Kyrie approach her, she smiled and clapped her hands together in excitement.

"It's about time someone visited me," she said in a youthful squeak. Quickly, she grabbed Kyrie's hand and began pulling her through the storm clouds. Kyrie pulled her hand out from the girl's and stood still, staring at the girl. "What, aren't you here to play?" Kyrie shook her head, which caused the girl to frown. "Well, what are you doing here, then?"

"I'm looking for my brother. Have you seen anyone else around here? Or…" she decided a better line of questioning would be better. "Where are we?" The girl crossed her sleeved arms in disgust, turning her head away at Kyrie. She raised an eyebrow at the girl's reaction, looking around for some clue to help ease into the questions. "Uh, guess I should apologize. Hi, little girl. My name's Kyrie, what's yours?" The girl looked back at her now, still slightly annoyed but at least interested.

"Sadie…" she said, pouting a little. "Are you here to check up on me? Is that it?" Her pout was quickly washed over with anger. She turned her entire body towards Kyrie and began lashing her arms out, the sleeves hitting Kyrie instead. "You're nothing but a big meanie! She sent you, didn't she? She did this to me, and sent you to check on me!" Kyrie held her arms up in defense, finding that the sleeves were quite weighty and carried a wallop to her attacks.

"Will you let me explain myself?" Kyrie cried out, kneeling down to better block the sleeves. Sadie's attacks slowed down, and Kyrie looked between her arms to gauge her actions. The little girl had already tired herself out, and her cheeks were flushed with a bright green hue. "Thank you…" she started to say, but saw that the girl wasn't looking at her. "You know, you're being very rude. Is it really that surprising that no one else has visited you if you're going to be such a spoiled brat?" Her words rang true in Sadie's ears, forcing a stream of tears out of the corner of her eyes. Kyrie instantly regretted saying such bitter words, but wasn't going to take them back. "Now, let me explain myself, ok?"

Kyrie managed to speak clearly, and loudly, over Sadie's cries to explain what she remembered about getting to where she was now. However, when it came to the immediate transition between where they had been, and where she was now, there was an unaccountable gap in her memory; like she knew it was empty, but couldn't fill it in with even a guess. Sadie's tears had begun to dry up, and she was starting to understand the situation a little. She hopped up and wiped her eyes off with a sleeve and looked around.

The storm clouds had faded back into fog, blanketing the area in its misty vapors. Sadie cleared her throat and looked back at Kyrie, who was scanning the scenery as well. "Well, I remember clearly how I got here, and I can say that I don't like being here. If I hadn't trusted her, then I'm sure…" she trailed off again, not wanting to speak of the situation. Kyrie looked down at her from the corner of her eye, seeing the sad look on the girl's face. It was a painful subject to bring up, so she knew better than to question more about it. "I thought it felt like there was more than myself in here lately, so maybe your brother is around too."

"Kyle! Can you hear us?" Kyrie yelled out. Once again, her voice didn't seem to echo beyond where they stood. Even Sadie tried, but her voice carried no greater weight to it than Kyrie's. They poked an ear out into the distance, cupping their hands around it to listen more carefully. However, nothing came back from Kyle. She remembered how his voice had begun to taper, as if she got further from him, and she damned the fog for misdirecting her attempts.

They decided to start walking in a random direction, Kyrie taking the lead. She yelled out for Kyle, but kept looking back to make sure she hadn't lost Sadie. Occasionally, the little girl would turn her body around and begin walking backwards, humming a little tune to herself, before turning back around. It caught Kyrie's attention a few times, but only when Kyle began to respond to their attempts again did she stop to ask Sadie what she was doing.

"Marking our trail," she pointed out, extending her sleeved hand out towards the way they had come. Small, rounded seeds had been left on the ground, or whatever you would've called it, marking the direction they had come from. Kyrie hadn't even been looking down while they were walking, but she had noticed that Sadie lightly guided her off from one direction or another rather often. "It's my gift… or one of them, rather." She puckered her lips together, as if speaking of her abilities left a sour taste in her mouth, which made Kyrie further curious. She pulled Sadie aside and looked at her brilliant green eyes.

"Sadie, how did you get here?" The subject had been on the tip of her tongue lately, but she had to ask now. Why was a little girl left all alone in this strange, slightly miserable place? She held Sadie's arms firmly and stared into those eyes, hoping to strike some sort of bond with the girl. Sadie began to tremble in her grip, recalling the events in her mind, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. "Well, when you are strong enough to tell me, just know… I'm here for you, ok?" Sadie just looked away, hurt. Kyrie slowly let go, but as she stood up, she rubbed Sadie's green hair around. "C'mon, kiddo. We're not done yet."

Slowly, they made progress through the fog, thanks to Sadie's abilities. She was awfully silent though, and watched the scenery shift once again, from fog to storm clouds. The trail of seeds was obscured in the distance, leaving the ones freshly dropped as the only ones they could see. Soon enough, they could hear Kyle more easily, which hastened their attempts to find them.

"Kyrie!" Kyle managed to cry out, his voice a yell instead of a whisper. Gradually, as they had proceeded through the confusing area, his voice had grown in volume. When they saw a silhouette through the flashes of lightning, Kyrie grabbed Sadie's hand and ran towards it. It came towards them as well, meeting them halfway through the shadowy clouds. Kyle leapt through the lightning, ringing his arms around Kyrie's neck in a big hug. They laughed and cheered, having been reunited with one another, but Kyle's eyes quickly changed to view the little girl that his sister had been running with.

"Kyle, this is Sadie. Sadie, this is my brother, Kyle", Kyrie introduced them to one another. They both seemed rather shy, and she thought it was rather cute to see them like that. Now, with one problem solved, she looked at Sadie carefully. Perhaps she was the reason they were pulled into whatever dream-like state they were in now, and the answer to getting out. "Sadie…" The little girl's face flushed with green once again, and she looked away from the two of them to crouch and cower.

"She won't speak," someone said from the shaded clouds behind them. Kyrie and Kyle turned, expecting someone else to be there with them. However, there was nothing but clouds. Even when lightning sparked around them, there was no other silhouette to be seen. Kyrie turned to look back at Sadie, but she had disappeared from where she had been. A spark of light flashed before them, blinding them with its intensity.

Kyrie sat up quickly, her body drenched in sweat. Her chest was hurting as if something had been constantly mashing against her chest. Her mother, Lara, and one of the robed figures were observing her from the side of the bed she was resting in. Kyle, a bed away, was recovering from sleeping, exhibiting the same appearance she had.

She heard her mother and the robed figure asking her questions, but the world around her fell rather deaf for a moment. All she could remember was Sadie, cowering, and the strange voice speaking. She felt something round in her hand, which was closed around it. Slowly, she raised it up to her face and opened it. A single seed, rounded and slightly cracked, had been placed there. "So it wasn't a dream," she whispered.


	5. Chapter 4

~ **Chapter Four: **_Crystal Cage_

"What was that?" Her mother asked her, concerned. Kyrie quickly pocketed the seed, hoping that no one saw what it was but her. She chuckled lightly, feeling the sweat on her face rolling down her cheek and cooling her skin as it evaporated. "Dear, I think you should try and get some more rest. You were having a fevered dream of some kind." Kyrie nodded, not wanting to startle her mother with a description of what she really went through. She laid back down and stared up at the ceiling a bit, the awkward silence filling the small room she had found herself in.

It was quaint, absolutely nothing like the interior they had experienced coming in. She could tell they were still in the same building due to an open doorway not far from her bed that led back out into the reflective hallways she had seen before. This room, though, looked more cozy and comfortable, with the stone brick wall roughly uneven from certain pieces rounding out from the rest. The wooden finish on the furniture and the floor made her feel like the room was out of place. She placed her empty hand over her forehead and hoped that the swelling confusion wouldn't drown her in a migraine.

"Mom," she asked lightly, looking at her mother carefully. "Where are we, exactly? I mean, this temple, this place. Why are we here, and what is "here"?" She wasn't actually expecting a response, but it comforted her to try and ask anyway. She was starting to understand that there would be certain things her mother couldn't explain to either of them without the right experience, and she knew that what they went through was the same. She believed it would be a waste of time to try and speak of what happened, not sure if it was supposed to be like that or not without knowing more.

Their mother just shook her head, reaching down beside the bed and pulling up a wet wash rag. She wrung the loose water out and applied it to Kyrie's forehead, and then went to do the same for Kyle. Seeing they were both awake and calm, she told them she was going to step out for a bit to get some fresh air. She slowly pulled the door closed so the noise would be less distracting for either them, or the rest of the occupants of the building. Kyrie sat straight up, catching the rag as it fell, and looked over at Kyle.

"You… you remember what happened, right?" Kyrie questioned her brother, wondering if it had indeed been a dream. Kyle slowly rose, keeping the rag on his forehead and looked at her carefully. He nodded and went to open his mouth to speak, but no sound accompanied his attempts. His eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and horror, reaching for his throat with both hands. The rag fell limp on the side of the bed, beginning to soak the sheets near him. Kyrie swung her legs over the edge and rushed to his side. He couldn't make a squeak or whisper, as much as he tried. She ran over to the door and pulled it open, looking down the hall for a sign of life to cry to for help.

The hall was bare, reflecting itself infinitely within its own walls. She couldn't make out which direction her mother had taken, and it seemed like there were no other doors through the hall. She turned around and motioned for Kyle to follow her, intending to find someone to help. "Keep close," she said to him, grabbing his hand tightly as they took the right path from the door. As they left the room completely, Kyle watched the door close on its own and fade into the reflections, masking where they had come from.

He kept close to his sister as they continued to walk down the hall, their reflections mimicking every action down to their breaths. Kyle watched closely, unable to voice his concern for what they were doing, and Kyrie was more interested in where they truly were. She knew more than anything that this wasn't the same place they were in before. It may look the same, but there was a certain "presence" to it that pushed down on her body from above. To add to her suspicions, she felt as if there was someone watching them.

Kyle clutched onto her skirt, causing her to look down at him. He pointed towards one of the walls, where his reflection was repeating his actions. What he was pointing at more precisely, she soon saw, was a wispy black flame flickering behind them. She quickly turned her head to check, but saw nothing other than her reflection, unbarred. Turning to view the other wall, she continued to see the fire dancing.

"You are tresspasssing…" a slithering voice echoed as a pair of golden eyes sparked to life from within the flames. It passed through their reflection, taking up the front so they could see just how long it was. A claw-like hand reached out from the mirror, emitting a heat to it as ash rose off of its skin, disappearing into the air above. "I wass warned there would be ssomeone trying to break the bird cage. Little did I think it would be two little kidss." A serpent snout poked halfway through the mirror, showing a sinister smile as best as it could. "Jusst when I wass getting bored, too."

Kyrie screamed, scared for what they were up against. She clenched her brother's hand like never before and began running down the hall, terrified for what they were in for. The walls became segmented, repeating the creature's partial emergence as she continued to run. Its laugh ricocheted off of the mirrors, surrounding them in its otherworldly tone. The sound of glass shattering began to chase after them. Kyle watched as the mirrors behind them began to crack and fall to the ground, creating a cascading shower of glass that was catching up closely to them.

He ran right into Kyrie's back, not realizing she had quickly stopped. She was staring at the glass in front of them doing the same thing, quickly crumbling and pouring forward onto the ground. She turned and quickly covered Kyle as much as she could, the two of them crouching to the floor in hopes it would lessen their chances of being cut badly.

"Let'ss play," the snake hissed into their ears, its voice carrying over the falling glass around them. As soon as the echo of the creature's taunt faded, everything became deathly silent. She could hear her brother's heart beating in his chest, which made the suspense all the more eerie. She chanced a look around her, finding that the glass was frozen in the air around them, the walls having broken down completely. What was left was an expansive marble floor, stretching out until it ended abruptly before a swirling wall of smoke that rose up out of sight.

"What do you want? We didn't mean to trespass!" Kyrie pleaded with the shadows, unsure of where their host was. The area was drenched in darkness, literal puddles of shadows bubbling up in the gray areas not far from her immediate area. Only a small circle of warming radiance seemed to surround them from an unknown source, protecting them from the cold embrace that waited at the light's edge. "Please, just leave us alone… Just leave us…" Her cries softened to a whisper as she began to cry, fear of what would happen to them haunting her imagination.

"What'ss thiss? That'ss not fun at all…" It appeared from the darkness in full form. Although its chest and arms were human except for the color, the rest was serpentine, down to its tail that faded into the shade. "I really wanted to play with my food, firsst. Ssuch a dissappointment." The tip of the tail appeared within the circle opposite of the snake's body, wrapping itself around Kyle. With one powerful tug, it jerked the little boy from Kyrie's arms, pulling him back into the shadows where it came from. "You'll be the main coursse, and he'll be desssert."

Kyrie looked at the creature with a ferocity that hadn't been there before. She wiped the tears out of her eyes and stood up, staring into the golden eyes of the snake. She dug a hand into her pocket, knowing what she needed to get from it. "Give me back my brother," she said, gritting her teeth. Although there was a ring of red around her eyes, the passion in her words as she demanded something dear to her returned was hard to deny. The snake laughed, moving its head up so its laughter echoed around the area.

"There'ss the sspunk I wass looking for. Maybe you'll be worth a meal after all." It moved its face in closer to stare her in the eye, sizing her demand up. She pulled her hand out of her pocket, her fingers wrapped around something spherical. Forcing her fist into the snake's face, she mashed the object, which was the seed she had pulled back out of the dream with her. The impact of her hand against the snake's scaly face broke the seed further, forcing the entire thing to pop. A blinding flash resulted from the seed popping, lighting up the entire area and temporarily stunning the both of them.

Kyrie recovered first, the image of the surrounding area still burned into her mind. She expected to run out of the small sphere of illumination, but as she moved, it went with her. She remembered where she had seen the tail end and soon reached where Kyle was, recently freed because of the brilliance that came from the seed. She grabbed hold of his hand and ran towards the shaded clouds that surrounded the area.

As she tried to reach out to the clouds, it split and dipped where her hand was. It bent to her attempted touch, doing its best to avoid getting close to her. She turned around, wondering if the enemy had recovered. She saw the golden eyes skating in the shadows, which she took as her cue. "I don't know what is beyond this, but it's better than where we are now. Hold on tight, Kyle." She gripped his hand tightly and pulled him closer to her before they took the plunge through. She could hear his whispering swears fade as the rolling clouds soon drowned out any other sounds beyond the wind whistling.

Kyrie's eyes slowly cracked open. She wasn't sure where she was, and that was what she was afraid of. The dreams within dreams were starting to get to her. She saw that she was lying in the bed, the rag still lying on her forehead. Her brother was fast asleep in the other bed, though he did seem to be in a fevered fit, as their mother had described it. His rag was still lying on the edge of the bed, the ring of moisture greatly expanded from where it had been left when they were in the dream.

The dream! She remembered before how it was hard to tell what was a dream and what wasn't. She fumbled through her pockets and found that the seed was still there. What was seriously going on? She laid back in her bed, fearful to close her eyes and find out what was going to happen if she fell asleep again. Her dreams had never been this vividly real before, and it all seemed to be caused by that crystal.

Max had been glancing through several texts left in the Archives by the previous caretakers, hoping there was something that he could find about what was going on. It was a small room underground, several rows and levels of bookshelves lined with dusty tomes and bound scrolls. He was starting to lose hope that there was something actually written when he heard a faint whisper in the distance. He turned, hoping to see someone. Instead, he saw a fading glow behind one of the bookcases. Quickly, he hopped up out of his chair and chased after it, watching it drift further away. He turned one corner of a bookshelf, finding that he was at a dead end of literature. However, he was certain that the light had come from this spot.

"You must… hurry…" Someone whispered into his ear. He turned his head, wondering where it came from, but there was still no one around. A thud in front of him made him gaze forward again, finding a book had fallen on the floor that wasn't there before. His curiosity led him to pick it up. It was definitely in an awful condition, the characters and engravings on the binding worn with age. He thumbed through a few of the pages, finding mostly diagrams and designs, until he came across one that looked familiar; the crystal that was in the main antechamber above.

"This is it!" He yelled out, hearing his own voice echo repeatedly throughout the Archives. His smile of appreciation soon slipped into a frown as he read the text accompanying it. Closing the book carefully so it didn't fall to pieces, he tightened a grip around its bindings as he rushed back to the main floor. He had to contact the caretakers and, more importantly, his family over what he believed was going on.


	6. Chapter 5

~ **Chapter Five: **_The Request_

Kyrie sat beside Kyle on his bed as Lara, the caretakers, and Max filled into the room slowly. Eventually, there were six people in the room, and it seemed rather cramped for the space it provided. Kyrie stroked the hair on top of Kyle's head, using it to comfort her after what they had both gone through, and she was glad that he was still resting. There was no telling what they would encounter next in this odd building. She refrained from telling anyone about what happened for fear of sounding crazy, and she wasn't sure if it was typical of coming to this building. She had no idea on what this place was really for.

Max sat down on the empty bed Kyrie had rested in. He showed everyone present the tattered book he had found down in the Archives. "It has no name," he started off with, "but in it are records dating back to before Koholint's settlement. There are entries about the Valley before Koholint was founded, and even about the Crystal. Bits and pieces of the pages are illegible due to the ink running, but what I can make out, it's quite astounding." He looked at the caretakers and continued, "What we initially thought about the Crystal was wrong, as well."

One of the caretakers pulled its hood back, revealing a woman with crystalline growths around her jaw-line. Kyrie gasped at the sight, having never seen such a person before. She quickly covered her mouth, not wanting to further offend the person. Her hair was stained white with streaks of blonde, and her eyes were glazed over with a milky lens. The moon-kissed flesh of her face clashed with the rainbow hues that the crystals exhibited.

"What does it say of the Crystal's current condition? Have you at least read that much to see if this has happened before?" The caretaker asked carefully. The crystals radiated with a purple color, but Kyrie wasn't sure what that meant. Max thumbed through some of the pages, trying to find where it had been mentioned before.

"Ah, here we go." He splayed the pages out further, making sure there were no hidden words within the creases. "It says here that the Crystal was exhibited a low humming sound around four-hundred and three years ago, which means it was just short of Koholint's eve. They don't go into further detail as to why it happened, but it mentions something of a "seal" and the Sages. Do you have any idea what it is talking about, Milos?"

The female caretaker shook her head, though she soon raised a hand to cusp her chin in thought. "There has been mention of the Sages before in previous texts, but as to what it could be talking about with this, I don't even know. To be perfectly honest, this is the first time I've even seen that book, too. You said it came from the Archives, right?" Max nodded, though he had a difficult time trying to describe where in there he had found it. "Hmm, well, no matter I suppose. Do you think you could read into it further and see what you could find?"

"I could. But, what I really called all of you here for was..." His words tapered into a whisper as he went further into the book, stopping short near the end. "It speaks of the Crystal's incident and its reaction to the youths found in the temple back then. Well, it says that they were affected by it, but doesn't say what came to it." He looked at Kyrie and Kyle, one of whom was actively listening. "It was a mistake to bring you here. Your mother and I can't just leave now, but we can't risk having you stay too close to the Crystal. Not now, since it's already made you both lose consciousness once. There's no telling what could happen if you stay here."

Kyrie stood up, a bit insulted. "I don't know what you thought of when you brought us here, but we're in too deep now. Why can't you just tell us what all of this is really about? Or, are you just going to pretend that we're too young, or of no use, to help with anything? To me, that's too late, with what we've already experienced." She glared at him for a moment then realized what she said. She quickly sat back down and went back to stroking Kyle's hair, dreading what she let slip. Max looked at her curiously, wondering what she meant, though she pretended to not know what he was thinking.

"Well, either way, I've sent a letter to your Aunt Lila to come pick the both of you up. She's going to take you back to the house, and you'll just wait there for us to come back." Kyrie went to speak up, but Max opened his mouth to try and catch her in mid-complaint. She let the air escape from her lungs, sighing loudly, before turning to stare back at her brother. Max said that was all he needed to say, and then asked to let the kids have their peace.

Slowly, the adults departed from the room, and as the door closed, Kyrie thought they were the only ones left in the room. A hand fell upon her shoulder, startling her out of her fixed gaze on her brother. She turned to see that Milos, the female caretaker, had remained behind. Her face displayed a sort of empathy for the child. "Don't pity us, please. It's bad enough that my parents feel it is important to bring us here, but leave us in the dark," Kyrie muttered.

"He's doing it to protect the two of you, though. That was the main reason he wanted to bring you here… Kyrie, there're things that you parents are involved in that have it rather difficult for them to tell you anything about it. The less you know about what is going on, the safer you are." She shifted her lips to a sideways frown, slightly worried about what she just said. "At the same time, I can tell that your little mind is just packed full of questions about everything. I can't tell you everything, but I can answer some of them, if you want." Kyrie's eyes lit up, and she shifted her entire body around to properly view Milos. They sat on the edge of Kyle's bed, staring at one another as respectfully as they could.

"What is this place, really?" Kyrie asked.

"It was said that this place had another name at one time, but everyone that is involved with it now call it the Temple of the Crystal." Milos ran a finger along her crystalline jaw, idly thinking to herself of something. That brought another question to Kyrie's mind.

"Why… are you like that?" It sounded wrong after she finally said it, but Milos could not find any problems with it. Instead, she laughed at the way it was asked.

"A side effect, I suppose, of handling the Crystal so carefully. It's a good thing, and a bad thing, to appear like this. Sure, people think you're a freak, or that you're different. Aside from the physical appearance, there's not much else that makes me too different. A perk of being like this, though, is that… well, how old would you say I look?" Kyrie raised an eyebrow at the question, finding the subject odd. "Go ahead, how old do I look?"

"Like you're in your late twenties, I guess…"

Milos laughed again, stopping her finger on one of the sharp crystals protruding near the tip of her chin. "I'm seventy-three, actually." She didn't explain more about why, but enough had been said to get the point across; her job as a caretaker brought some perks and problems to it. Kyrie mulled deep down, wondering carefully about what she could ask next. She wasn't getting as much information as she thought she could.

"Have you ever had… strange dreams while living here? Like, about a little girl, or a giant snake?" Milos's carefree smile slowly faded into a stoic stare, trying to understand the question more appropriately. She shook her head, but the crystals on her face faded into a black hue. There was something she wasn't saying, and now Kyrie wasn't sure whether it involved her job, the secrecy behind it, or something else. "Well, I don't know what else to ask, really. I was surprised to learn anything, so I do thank you for that at least, Miss Milos."

"Please, just Milos. It's quite all right, Kyrie. If there is anything else you want to just ask, come and find me, ok? I promise to try and make some time to answer you." Kyrie nodded, acknowledging her promise for now. Milos stood up and bid farewell to the youth, leaving the room as quiet as it had once been. Kyrie did long for the further interaction, but this whole situation had now left her feeling bitter. She turned back to Kyle, brushing his hair again.

"They're gone, Kyle. You can wake up." Kyle's eyes opened and quickly fixed upon his sister's. "You heard everything, right?" He nodded, though his eyes were watery. He looked about ready to cry, after having heard of what their father had said. She coddled him, bringing him in for a hug. "We'll be fine. Aunt Lila will at least keep us company while they're doing who knows what."

Kyle tugged at her, trying to separate himself from her. She let go and looked at him, perplexed. He was pointing under her arm at something behind her. As she turned around, she saw a ghostly apparition hovering in the shadows of the room, the image waving and distorting. She gasped in surprise, turning to get a better look at it as she backed into Kyle. It approached them, solidifying to a more stable appearance as it got closer. Kyrie was starting to get tired of everything that was going on out of the normal in this temple.

It was a young man wearing scantily-clad armor in a few choice places on his tanned body. His eyes were hollowed out, but she could still make out everything else. "Are you Kyrie and Kyle?" Kyrie felt about ready to scream, unable to get used to anything before something new came into the picture. Kyle fortunately felt her breathing pick up and covered her mouth just in time to muffle the scream. Once she was finally able to get it out of her system, she calmed down some. "Please, I need to know!" The young man pleaded with them, trying to get an answer.

"Y-Yes… I'm Kyrie, and this is my brother. Who are you? Why do you want to know?"

"There's no time! I was told to find you two out as quickly as possible, and fortunately, I was pointed into the right direction. Are you two familiar with the city of Koholint any?" Kyrie's expression lessened to that of disbelief. "I've heard whispers around me mentioning the sector of Darunia. Please, if you can help, I promise to help you in any way I can." His form began to waver and fade. He reached out for Kyrie's hand, actually grabbing hold of it slightly. "Please! She told me that you would help! You're the only ones I can count on!"

His hand felt warm to the touch, which went against the belief that ghosts had no warmth or presence to them. As he disappeared completely, his touch faded from her hand. She could still feel the heat that came off of their brief interaction, which made her heart beat slightly faster. She turned her hand over, looking carefully at her hand to wonder how such a thing had happened. Her mind was muddled with one mystery after another. Kyle just leaned up against her, hugging her tightly.

"Kyle, I don't think we can leave just yet," she said, wanting to know more about anything they could.


	7. Chapter 6

~ **Chapter Six: **_Seeing the Sights_

"Well, this is a fancy place," Aunt Lila said, commenting on how sprawled out the city of Koholint, the district of Saria, was. She was wearing a puffy, plush outfit made out of thick wool, a product of her farm on the other side of Larame. Her brown hair was pulled back in a bun, a braided crown wrapping around her head. "For my first time coming to the city, and I get the pleasure of being led by such a strong man." Of course, she was merely guessing that the caretaker leading her was a man, since the person was cloaked heavily. Beyond asking her name, it hadn't spoke much beyond that, and even its voice was too low for her to properly make out the right gender. "Say, will we be getting to the kids soon? I'm starting to get… a might peckish and think I'll need to stop for some lunch before long."

Milos accompanied Kyrie and Kyle outside of the Temple of the Crystal, draped in her caretaker robes to hide her face. The sun was blazing brightly overhead through the Great Deku Tree's canopy, draping the cityscape in its spotty rays that blended and blurred as it descended to the ground. The image of the temple slowly faded from sight for the kids, watching it slowly change into a series of boring, ordinary buildings. They knew it was still there, though, so it was just a matter of wanting to return to it at a later time. There was a mutual display of excitement as the kids and their aunt saw one another. Clamoring into a large group hug, the Cross siblings were happy to see another familiar face.

"Oh dear, it feels as though it's been _ages_ since I saw the two of you," Lila said, emphasizing a grunt when she said "ages". "Look at the two of you," she commented, pulling them away from her to get a better look up close. "Wow, you've both grown so much since I last saw you. Kyrie, you're turning into quite the pretty lady. You definitely look more like your mother as the years go by. And Kyle… wow, the spitting image of a younger Max if I do say." She leaned in and gave both of them a kiss on the cheek. "Speaking of, where are your parents?"

Milos bid the other caretaker farewell, and quickly responded as best as she could to Lila's question. "They're both indisposed of in another matter. I'm sure you were told as much as possible when they reached you?" Lila nodded, but the expression on her face meant she wasn't told as much as she would've liked. Kyrie could relate, and only clutched her aunt even more in a hug, burying her face into the soft, plush cloth her aunt's clothes were always made of. It was a comforting memory, to recall her aunt always wearing the plushest, softest clothing to hug.

"Yes, but that tells me nothing. Why bring their kids here to the city, only to want them taken back? My sister usually isn't one for such poor planning, and…" she slowly lost track of what she was complaining about, seeing the kids look up at her with concern. "What's wrong, young ones? Are you hungry? I believe I am too." She looked to Milos, half expecting her to know what she was hinting at. A few seconds passed with silence being the only response. "Do you know where we can get something to eat at around here?"

"No!" Kyrie halted Milos's response, shocking everyone involved as well as the people passing by. Kyrie took a bit to collect herself, and then turned to view Milos. She could see under the hood, knowing what the caretaker looked like beforehand, and slightly lent a pleading whimper into her voice. "Do you think we could tour the other districts before we leave? This is our first time in the city, and I know I would appreciate the sights." Kyle stepped forward and did his best to quiver his lip. Milos remained silent, as did Lila. Only after a few more seconds of Kyle's attempt did she agree to it.

Milos directed them towards the district borders, ensuring that they would find a place to eat along the way to keep Lila from complaining. The city scenery was quite a breather to the kids compared to being cooped up in the Temple for what seemed like longer than just a night. There were lush trees and patches of grass growing beside the buildings, and the general motif of nature could be seen in designs and drawings throughout the area. Kyrie and Kyle smiled at one another, knowing it would only be a matter of time until they'd reach Darunia. Kyle realized that there was another problem facing them, tugging on Kyrie's clothes to pull her behind Lila. He opened his mouth and pointed in, remembering that he had recently lost his voice. None of the caretakers were able to help him, and Lila wasn't aware of it yet. Kyrie nodded at the hint, but tried to signal that it'd be fine for now.

"If we were to explain it to her, I think Mom and Dad would have a harder time explaining how we became involved. Let's just head to Darunia for now and see what we can find. That guy wasn't the most informative when he asked for our help, so…" she breathed in, thinking to herself carefully. "It's a good enough place to start, at least." Kyle nodded, but he still felt like they should tell their aunt about his inability to speak. Kyrie just patted him on the head and pulled him back between the two adults.

"…and that's when my fourth husband succumbed to Stalfos. He's still rather handy to keep around the farm, though. He scares away the wolves that try to eat the Laafy at night." Lila was entertaining Milos with tales of her ex-husbands. Kyrie found it a bit bitter to be talking of such things around children their age, but she also remembered that it was how their aunt was. Instead, she continued to look around the sights as they walked through Saria.

Eventually, Milos brought them to the border of Saria, a massive wall built between it and the neighboring district of Ruto. Although it wasn't exactly straight, the wall kept up a seamless line of bricks and clay that extended far beyond their sight. The street they were walking on led up to a gate, allowing entry between the districts unhindered. A portcullis decorated like an ivy lattice was raised partially, just high enough to allow pedestrians to walk through. The portcullis on the other side of the gate was carved and painted to look like icicles, hanging dangerously from above.

"This is one of several checkpoints that Koholint runs. In times of need, the gates are lowered, and passes are checked to make sure that only merchants, guards, or special visitors are allowed between the districts. This way, there's a greater check on who is going in and out." Milos led them through the open checkpoint, explaining that there was no warning going on so free passage was allowed.

The scenes of nature and harmony they had become used to in Saria was replaced by the smell of water and fish. A bluish-gray tint was applied to all of the fixtures in Ruto, and a gentle breeze carried with it the smell of fresh water off in the distance. Kyrie took in a deep breath, feeling her body relax and lighten with the air. Before she could, Milos caught her hesitation and said, "Ruto is connected to Lake Zora and the Jabu-Jabu River, both ample bodies of water that provide a myriad of fish and other aquatic bounties that the city comes to rely upon." Kyrie exhaled the breath she had gathered, finding her question answered.

"Jabu-Jabu River? I don't think I've heard of such a thing," Lila commented, regarding her knowledge of Larame as knowing a lot of the valley itself. Milos went into further detail that the river was connected to a waterfall on the western edge of the valley. Kyrie's eyes sparkled at the mention of the waterfall, leaning further into her ideas of something existing beyond the valley walls. Lila just scoffed at the notion of the waterfall. "I doubt that. I'll believe it when you can show me such a thing exists." Milos just remained quiet under her hood, leading them further through the Ruto district.

It didn't take long before Lila began to complain about her feet aching and her stomach growling. Milos looked around cautiously, surveying the scenery. She quickly spotted an outdoor restaurant they could eat at, and Lila rushed over to sit in one of the chairs before the caretaker had finished the suggestion. She was fanning herself with a menu when the rest of the party joined her, sitting down quietly. After their meals had been ordered, Lila seemed to be comfortable enough to continue talking.

"So, young lady," she turned in her chair to stare at Kyrie. "Why have you and your brother been so quiet? What's really going on?" Kyrie raised an eyebrow curiously, hazarding a guess as to what she really meant. Lila just stared at her then motioned her head towards the caretaker, Milos, who was discussing the meal arrangements with the waiter back near the kitchen. "What have you gotten yourselves into?" Kyrie played ignorant to what she meant, but Lila leaned forward, getting closer to the two children. "I'm not stupid, children. Your parents' message was clear on one thing: there was something that happened, and then you had to leave. You bet your bottom that I won't leave this alone until I found out."

As Milos returned, Lila quickly changed back into the complaining conversationalist that she was earlier. Kyrie watched their aunt carefully, having never seen the other side of her before. She was afraid that Lila would catch on, and neither of the Cross children knew how to properly explain it without the casual way adults push things away when they don't believe it.

After their stop at the restaurant, Milos offered to take them back to Saria so they could leave. Kyrie shook her head, wanting to continue on. Lila eyed the girl carefully, sending a chill down her back. Milos continued to show them around, showing them the gate that separated Ruto from Darunia. The mention of the district's name caused the hair on Kyrie's neck to stand, an electric signal sweeping through her body that tingled at her fingertips. Kyle simply held onto her hand tightly as they passed under the icicle portcullis of Ruto and under the jagged rocks lined with yellowish-red magma veins that decorated the gate of Darunia.

"Darunia is famous for the workshops and metallurgists that toil day and night to perform any and all services involving the precious metals mined out of Volvagia, a mine to the far northwest." The temperature and air in the district felt warm and humid, their bodies quickly displaying tiny beads of sweat under the steamy surroundings. "If you look over there," she said, pointing off to the northwest some more. Kyrie and Kyle followed her finger in the direction suggested. Their sight leapt from one line of rooftops to another, all the way to a large spire jutting out from the center of the district.

"That's… quite a tall, sharp building," Kyrie commented, looking at it closely. A plume of gray smoke trailed out from the top, disappearing as it rose higher into the sky. She felt her body tingle as she locked sights on it, and felt a powerful pulse throb through her entire body. She braced herself, raising her free hand up to her chest to steady herself from causing a scene. Kyle's grip on her hand tightened to an uncomfortable strength.

"That's the Monolith. The smoke that rises from the top is a signal of weather to come, so the rest of the city uses it to predict weather patterns for the rest of the valley." Lila looked at the kids carefully, gauging their reaction to the sight. Kyrie had recovered from whatever had hit her, but she still felt Kyle's grip starting to cause her hand to go numb. Without further alarm, Lila nudged on Milos and pulled her aside, wanting to ask the caretaker directly what was going on to require her presence.

Meanwhile, Kyrie and Kyle remained in the street, looking at the spire. Kyrie winced in pain, looking down at her hand, then up at Kyle's face. "Kyle, you're hurting me," she whispered. He loosened his grip a little, but with the feeling returning to her hand, she began to feel an increased warmth coming off of his hand. She looked at him carefully, watching as his pupils narrowed and expanded, adjusting to the scene. He looked back at her and blinked a few times.

"Kyrie?" he asked, speaking in a different voice. She let go, afraid of what was wrong with him. He took some time to look at his body, especially his hands, and then looked at her again. "Kyrie, why am I in this body?" She looked at him hard, trying to understand what he meant. "I wanted your help, but I also wanted my body too." That was all she needed to hear to know that it wasn't Kyle anymore. It was the young man that asked for their help. But that meant…

She stepped forward, grabbing Kyle's shirt tightly and raising him up to eye level. "What've you done with my brother," she snarled, her lips tightly sealed near the edges as she uttered a threat. Kyle just gulped, looking at her with fear in his eyes. As she stared into them, she realized that he had red eyes now. Further proof that her brother was not the one she was holding onto now.


End file.
